Rotary washing machine



May 29, 1923.

F. GUAY ROTARY WASHING MACHINE File March 8 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 VENTOR.

r 4; ATTORNEY Patented May 29, 1923}.

pairaa sraras FRANK GUAY, OF WHITEFISH, MONTANA.

ROTARY WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed March 8, 1922. Serial N0. 542,079.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK GUAY, a c tizen of the United States, residing at Whitefish, in the county of Flathead and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to an improvement in rotary washing machines.

It has two main objects; one is to prevent the machine from turning when the door is open, and the other to revent articles of laundry from fallin etween the stationary and rotary cylin er when. the door is open.

In the accompanying drawings 2-- Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail in transverse section on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the gu'ard;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section showing the trip and clutch mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 1s a transverse section on llne 66 of Fig. 5, looking toward the right.

A, is the outer cylinder forming the shell,

of the machine, with the opening 1 in the upper side; and 2, indicates the rotary cylinder having the ribs 3 and 4 at intervals, as shown in Fig. 1. A door 5 is hinged to one side of the opening in the rotary cylinder, and, when open, the articles to be washed are passed through this door-way. The rib 4 is rooved, and a uard 6 is slidably placed 1n a groove 7 t erein, it being actuated by a spring 8 which tends to force it out. The purpose of this guard is to close the space between the two cylinders, as shown in Fig. 1, when the articles are pased through the door-way, that is to say when the door 5 is open. It will be seen that when the door is open, the spring 8 forces it out, and it bridges the space between the two cylinders.

Upstanding lugs 9 on the guards are in position to be engaged by the edge of the door 5, when it is closed, to force the guard in and out of the way, the spring automatically projecting the guard the moment the door 5 is open.

As a means for preventin the cylinder from starting when the door 15 open, which often happens to the injury of the machine or the laundryman operating it, an automatic trip is provided as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. The trip-lever 10 is pivoted at 11 to the end of the inner cylinder or drum 2, and its free end is in the path of the door as shown in dotted lines when the door is open, the door forcing it in when closed, as shown in the full lines.

A spring-actuated rod 12 i pivotally connected with the trip lever i 10 at 13, and this rod carries a wedge 14 which is forced endwise against the hub 15 of the clutches 16, which latter frictionally engage the rim of the pulley 17. A spring 18 in the shaft 19 upon which the pulley 17 is mounted normally forces the hub 15 inwardly, unclutching the pulley 17 when the door 5 of the cylinder 2 is open. The reverse action, of course, takes place when the door 5 is closed, in other words causing the clutches 16 to engage the pulley 17 to drive the cylinder. In this way, it is impomible for the cylinder to rotate while the door is open.

Thus two improved means are providedone a means for preventing goods from dropping between the two cylinders when the door is open; and the other to prevent accident by reason of the cylinder starting to rotate when the door is open.

I claim:

1. A washing-machine including an outer and an inner cylinder spaced apart,

a door for the inner cylinder, and a springactuated slidably mounted guard which alltomatically pro ects itself to cover the space between the two cylinders at the'edge of the door-way when the door is open.

2. A washin -machine including an outer and inner cyllnder spaced apart, a door for the inner cylinder, and a guard which automatically projects itselfto cover the space between the two cylinders at the edge of the door-way when the door is open, and means connected with the guard in the path of the door to cause the guard to be ushed aside or out of the. way when the dbor is closed.

3. The combination of a stations. shell,

a rotary cylinder having a movabe door. and ribs on the inside of the cylinder, one of which ribs is grooved, a guard slidably mounted in the hollow rib and extending through the outer side thereof, a spring in said rib for automatically projecting the guard to cover the space between the'shell and cylinder When said door is open, said guard projecting into the path of the door so that, When the latter is closed, it forces said guard into said hollow rib.

4. The combination with an outer shell, and a rotary cylinder therein having an actuating shaft, a door hinged to the cylinder for closing the latter, and a clutch mechanism on said shaft actuated by the door to disconnect said mechanism from said shaft to prevent the rotation of the cylinder While the door is open and for locktary cylinder, a door hinged to the inner cylinder for opening and closing the latter, a shaft for turnin the cylinder, a pulley thereon, a clutch For fastening the pulley to the shaft, and a clutch-lever, in position to be actuated by the door as it is closed.

In testimony whereof I 211%; my signature.

FRANK GUAY. 

